Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-08-11
SALVATION BY TORTURE.
REvoLTINe RELIGIOUS PERFORM
ANcE IN A MOSQUE.

Mohnmmedan Devotees Engaged in Hor-
rible Orgies-Reaching the Extreme
Pitch of Cataleptic IDebriatiOn-Mar-
veIous InsensibiIity to Bodily Injury.
Meanwhile the music had been growing in
intensity, the orchestra sharing the excite
ment which they communicated The drum
mers beat their tambours with redoubled
force, lifting them high above their heads,
and occasionally, at some extreme pitch,
tossing them aloft and catching them again
as they fell. Sometimes in the exaltatiOn Of
frenzy, they started spasmodicaDy to their
feet and then sank back into their original
position.
And now the oscillating line in front Of the
doorway for the first time found utterance.
As they leaped high on one foot, alternately
kicking out the other, as their heads wagged
TO and fro and their bodies quivered with the
muscular strain, they cried aloud in praise of
Allah. IA ilaha i'll Allahl" There is no
God but Allah. this was the untiring burden
of their strain And then came @Ya Allahl7
20 God, and sometimes "Ya Kahharl'
% avenging Cod, @Ya HakkiD 10 just God,
while each burst of clamorous appeal culmi-
mated in an awful shout Of "Ya Hoo"
70 Him
The rapidity and vehemence of their gestic-
ulafions was now appalling; their heads
swung backward and forward till their fore
heads almost touched their breasts, and their
scalps smote against their backs. Sweat
poured from their faces; they painted for
breath; and the exclamations burst from
their mouths in a thick and steItorOus
murmur Suddenly, and without warning,
the first phase of the zikr ceased, and the ac-
tors stood gasping, shaking and dripping
with peTspiration.
After few seconds respite the perform
ance recommended, and shortly waxed
more furious than ever. The worshipers
seemed TO he gifted with an almost superhu-
man strength and energy. As the ecstasy
approached its height and the fully initiated
became melboos or possessed, they broke
from the stereotyped itany into demoniacal
grinning and ferocious and bestial cries.
These writhing and contorted objects were no
longer rational human beings, but savage
animals, Gagged brutes bowling madly in the
delirium of hunger or of pain. They growled
like bears, they barked like jaclals, they
roared like lions, they laughed like hyenas;
and ever and anon from the seething rank
rose a diabolical shrek, like the scream of a
dying horse OF the yell of tortured fiend.
And steadily the while in the background re-
sounded the implacable reverberation Of the
drums
The climax was now reached; the requisite
pitch Of cataleptic inebriation had been OBJ
tanned, and the rites of Aissa were about to
begin. From the crowd at the door a wild
figure broke forth, tore off his upper clothing
till he was naked to the waist, and, throwing
away his fez, barred head close shaven, save
i a. i
ing from the scalp, fell over his forehead like
some grizzly and funereal plume. long
knife, somewhat resembling a cutlass, was
handed to him by the sheikh, who had risen
to his feet and who directed the phenomena
that ensued. Waving it wildly above his
head and protruding the forepart of his
figure, the fanatic brought it down blow after
blow against his barred stomach, and drew it
savagely to and fro against the unprotected
skin. There showed the marks Of long and
ivid veal, but no blood spurted from the
cash. In the intervals between the strokes
he ran swiftly from one side to the other of
the open space, taking long, stealthy strides
like panther about to spring, and seemingly
so powerless over his own movements that he
knocked blindly up against those who stood
in his way, nearly upsetting them with the
violence of the collision.
The proves or the piety of this ardent de-
votion proved extraordinarily contagious
First one and then another of his brethren
caught the aff1atus and followed his example.
In few moments every part of the mosque
was the scene of some novel and horrible rite
of self mutilation, performed by fresh
aspirant to the favor of Allah.
Several long iron spits, or prongs, were
produced and distributed; these formidable
implements were about two and half feet
in length and sharply pointed, and they
terminated at the handle in a circular wooden
knob about the size of large orange There
was great competition for these instruments
Of torture, which were used as follows: Pois-
ing one in the air, an Aissaoui would sud-
denly force the point into the flesh of his own
shoulder in front just below the shoulder
blade. Thus transfixed and holding the
weapon aloft, he strobe swiftly up and down.
Suddenly, at signal, he fell on his knees,
still forcing the point into his body and keep
ing the wooden head uppermost. Then there
started up another disciple armed with a big
wooden mallet, and he, after few prelimi-
nary taps, rising high on tiptoe with uplifted
weapon would, with an appalling yell, bring
down with all his force upon the wooden
knob, driving the point home through the
blow, the victim wincing beneath the stroke,
but uttering no sound, and fixing his eyes
with look of ineffable delight upon his tor
turer, till the point was driven right through
the shoulder and projected at the back Then
the patient marched backwards and forwards
with the air and the gate of conQuering
hero. At one moment there were four of
these semi-naked maniacs within yard of
nv feet transfixed and trembling but beati-
fed and triumphant
The most singular feature of all, and the
one that almost defies belief though it is
none the less true, was this: That in no case
did one drop of blood emerge from the scar,
or cash or wound. This fact observed most
carefully, the mokadden standing at my side,
and each patient in turn coming to him when
bis self-imposed torture had been accom-
plished and the cataleptic frenzy had spent its
force 1t was the chief who cunningly with
drew the blade from cheek or shoulder or
body, rubbing over the spot what appeared
TO me to be the saliva Of his own mouth; then
he whispered an absolution in the ear of the
disciple and kissed him on the forehead where
upon the patient. but moment before writh-
ing in maniaeal transports, retired tran
quilly and took his seat upon the floor. He
seemed none the worse for his recent parox-
ySIIl, anu lHO HOuuu WIS LldIk6tl Only Dl d
Iivid blotch or hectic flush.
This was the scene that for more than an
hour went on without pause or intermission
before my eyes Amid the dust and sweat
and insufferable heat the naked bodies of the
actors shone with ghastly pallor and ex-
hailed sickening smell. The atmosphere
reeked with heavy and intoxicating fumes
Above the despairing chant of the singers
rang the frenzied yells of the possessed, the
shrieks of the hammerer, and the inarticulats
cries, the snarling and growing, the below
ing and miawling of the self imagined beasts
And ever behind and through all re-echoed
the perpetual and pitiless accompaniment of
the dr1Ims.-lIon. George Curzon, NJ P, in
Fortnightly Review.
Death Rate Among Children.
The following facts are suggestive: Full
one-third of the patients of the general prac-
titioner are children. OF all children born
about one in five dies within the first year.
and one in three by the end of the fifth year.
In New York about one-half die in five years.
Te =, iii @1a I'LL